[ben45750]

Originally Posted by BigAtrukn

Dont feel bad, Schneider is just as bad. Our daycabs date back too 99 with 600k plus miles on them

At Roadway and Conway I drove day cabs with over a Million miles, no A/C and even a couple without power steering. The truck I drive now with Advantage Tank Lines is an 01 Pete with 700k. I could care less how old it is or how many miles it has, I don't live or sleep in it.

I have also noticed at Roadway, Conway and Advantage the older trucks run better and pull better than the new tuned down trucks. It's pretty much industry wide when it comes to local trucking the equipment is older. If I were a OTR driver, yeah I would go where the trucks are new.

[ThinkingAboutTrucking]

Hey everyone!!!

Thanks so much for responding. I do plan to look for other jobs while I'm home, but if Werner doesn't have me in a truck within a month after I test out, I've GOT to get something else, as financially I'm in dire straits right now.

Not to go on and on about it, but I feel like those folks in "Grapes of Wrath," heading for a better life but finding out it doesn't exist. The road to trucking has been like that so far. Perhaps in a couple years or so things will be better, but...

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

Originally Posted by ThinkingAboutTrucking

Hey everyone!!!

Thanks so much for responding. I do plan to look for other jobs while I'm home, but if Werner doesn't have me in a truck within a month after I test out, I've GOT to get something else, as financially I'm in dire straits right now.

Not to go on and on about it, but I feel like those folks in "Grapes of Wrath," heading for a better life but finding out it doesn't exist. The road to trucking has been like that so far. Perhaps in a couple years or so things will be better, but...

I heard they were going to issue alot of the new trucks they have sitting in Dallas and Springfield this year...But then again they said that last year ,and it never happened.

This past November I was at the Omaha terminal ,and they were having students that just became qualified drivers take BRAND NEW trucks equiped with nice new APU's from Omaha to Fontana Ca Terminal for the needs of the Dedicated drivers out there ...I was told they were sending pretty much all the new Century's ,387's ,And T-600 off the omaha lot out there ...Now the good part they told these drivers that they would drive this brand new truck out to Fontana ...And the they could pick whatever truck they wanted off the Fontana Ca Terminal lot...For anyone that knows Werner ,and truck selection by terminal you are already probably laughing ...Well the drivers got done jockeying these trucks out to Fontana from Omaha for about $150 bucks (try to get a professional to move CMV's for $150 for 1500+ miles) But when these drivers got there thinking they were going to be picking out the truck of their choice they realized it was only limited to the $hit on the Fontana lot...They lost many of the drivers that went out there who had been sitting at the Ben Franklin motel in Omaha for 1wk or more who took the run to Fontana thinking they were getting taken care of . Which reminded me of the summer of 2006 when they had about 70 trucks built up at the Laredo Terminal ,and trucks were still comming in ,But no one was getting freight out , And they had drivers sitting for about a week , And many of the drivers did not get paid layover ...And they had drivers turning in the keys by the bunch like 30 or more drivers turned their keys in that weel .


I'm very bored sitting here , So when I start working in the next 10 days or so I won't have all this free time to share my 2.5 years of Werner stories ...But man I could write a book , And none of it ficton .

[johnday]

BigJeep; Since you've been there awhile, maybe you can give me some insight. I've only got 310k on this beater. Sounds like I need to get to Omaha to have the cosmetics taken care of. Oh, and the clutchbrake as well. What are the possibilities of getting someone to eliminate my complaints?
While at Springfield for orientation, I stumbled upon the back lot where there were a buttload of brand new t-6's. Some black, some Werner blue. I got the impression that we Canada drivers are supposed to get black T6's. Is that correct? And how can a Canada driver get to Omaha? I volunteered to take one the new trucks to Fontana, with a load I might add, and was told that since I'm in zone 7, that I couldn't drive 48. What the crap does that mean?

At Springfield, I felt like I was being set up to fail right from the start, even a bit of a discussion with a couple of the powers to be about it. Well, I thought it better to shutup and wait until I got out of there. That seemed to be the best thing to do. I've no complaints, and nothing but good to say about Kris and Angie, and the ladies and guys at Milton are just fantastic. Even breakdown was very helpful when I had a problem up in Levis Quebec, once I was able to talk with someone, it just takes a bit to talk with someone, and thats not just Werner. Every company I've been with it takes awhile when truck problems arise. Am I overly sensitive about this? Like I've said, I don't need or care if I have a new truck, just one that I can a little pride in.

On second thought, wouldn't it be better if we PMed each other on this? I don't really like it to sound like I'm bashing Werner on the internet, especially since I'm driving for them and trying to give them a chance.

[BigAtrukn]

I know what you mean, i drove for coca cola with there million mile 80's internationals that had no ac, radio, and had plenty of air leaks. Same with Overnite ( UPS Freight ), but they rebuild the engines which ment great running condition bad looking goin down the road. With schieder I had a 99 daycab with 600k, that thing was in the shop twice a week for 3 months till they gave me a new one. Werner seems to have nice looking equipment out on the west coast for the most part, but im sure if you bug them enough about it you will get a better one.

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

Originally Posted by johnday

BigJeep; Since you've been there awhile, maybe you can give me some insight. I've only got 310k on this beater. Sounds like I need to get to Omaha to have the cosmetics taken care of. Oh, and the clutchbrake as well. What are the possibilities of getting someone to eliminate my complaints?
While at Springfield for orientation, I stumbled upon the back lot where there were a buttload of brand new t-6's. Some black, some Werner blue. I got the impression that we Canada drivers are supposed to get black T6's. Is that correct? And how can a Canada driver get to Omaha? I volunteered to take one the new trucks to Fontana, with a load I might add, and was told that since I'm in zone 7, that I couldn't drive 48. What the crap does that mean?

At Springfield, I felt like I was being set up to fail right from the start, even a bit of a discussion with a couple of the powers to be about it. Well, I thought it better to shutup and wait until I got out of there. That seemed to be the best thing to do. I've no complaints, and nothing but good to say about Kris and Angie, and the ladies and guys at Milton are just fantastic. Even breakdown was very helpful when I had a problem up in Levis Quebec, once I was able to talk with someone, it just takes a bit to talk with someone, and thats not just Werner. Every company I've been with it takes awhile when truck problems arise. Am I overly sensitive about this? Like I've said, I don't need or care if I have a new truck, just one that I can a little pride in.

On second thought, wouldn't it be better if we PMed each other on this? I don't really like it to sound like I'm bashing Werner on the internet, especially since I'm driving for them and trying to give them a chance.

If your damage isn't safety related they won't fix it , So bent fairings will stay bent .


Werner has no designated Color of truck for Canada they do run Black T-600,Century's,And 387 for Dollar General , And try to keep Werner blue on the Wal-mart DC accounts.


Delivering a truck for Werner is not in your best interest ,As they don't pay you fairly to do so ...All the guys who have ran brand new trucks to Fontana thinking they were getting to pick a nice truck of their choice off the Fontana lot realized they were delivering brand new trucks to Fontana ,And werre being given the old trucks off the Fontana lot...The reason for this was that Werner is equipping the brand new trucks with Apu's and not the old trucks , And with the idiling rules in California ,And all the Wal-mart Dc's they service they are putting all the new trucks in CALI ,and on Wal-mart dedicated accounts , So basicly you bring a bew truck out for to be issued to drivers that will be running 11 Western or Wal-mar dedicated ,And then they trade off the Beater to you .



As for getting a decent truck these are your options...discuss your issues politely with disptch ,and then talk to rachel in what was called the Terminal Velocity Corodinator ,Which is now something else , And ask her to keep you in mind for what you want when they trade your truck out also ask when they might be getting ready to trade it ,as it does have 310k on it ....


Option 2 wait until the first of the year ,and see if they start issuing the new trucks , then after you have been out for a few weeks and have earned a few days home take a leave of abscence ,and turn in your keys this will get you out of the current truck ,And then call back up and say your comming off your leave this will give you the iopportunity to ask to see what's open and where ,and go get the truck you want ...Also you can refuse trucks at this point and be a little demanding about your preferance . However staying in your current truck could be 450k if its not sold , But those are the 2 options you have to get into another truck
without quiting , Which some drivers have done , And if you are recently out of training Werner is still collecting government Dollars for the first year on you , So if you quit they wil call ,and ask why ,and what they can do and most of the time you can get a decent truck out of that , Buit you have to quit , Which I don't reccoment ...The leave of abscence for a day or 2 works well .

[johnday]

Thanks for the suggestions Big Jeep. Think I'll try with my DM and then use the leave of absence ploy if need be. Man, this reminds of the power company I retired from a couple years ago. You had to play the system to accomplish much satisfaction there as well. See ya on the road hopefully.

[mbadriver]

Won't take much investigating to find an answer to that.

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

Originally Posted by johnday

Oh hey!! I don't mind a high mileage or older truck at all. Between CFI and Werner, I was with a very small company. I was given a 1999 379 Pete, that had well over a million miles on it, and looked very nice. Drove very well. The Century I'm in now does drive and handle well, just looks like a junker is all. It's certainly seen some very careless abuse. With my two former companies, you'd have been fired for abusing a truck like this. Sort of makes me wonder what happened to the former "drivers" of this truck. With a little money laid on it, it could be a very nice ride for someone who cares.

Why would you go from CFI to a small company , and then back to a big company ,And choose Werner instead of going back to CFI :?: I know how you can get a good truck just go back to CFI done deal ,and a pay raise to boot . :wink: I didn't catch that you had experience I thought you were fresh out of Werner's 275 hour course after just getting your CDL ,But you have options...USE THEM GET OUT NOW !!! :wink: Werner is a place that is low paying ,And has twice as much BS as most OTR companies , And if you do have an incident working there you may end up not having so many choices in employment elsewhere ...GET OUT ...RUN...TURN IN THE KEYS !!! :lol:

[ThinkingAboutTrucking]

I tested out yesterday. They didn't issue me a truck because safety has a red flag on me. I need to get the company a prescription, and since I need to see the doctor first, it might be a few days. I'm still going to look for local work though. I just have a bad feeling about this company.